SNOW GOOSE. 



77 



The Snow Goose is two feet eight inches in length, and five 

 feet in extent; the bill is three inches in length, remarkably thick 

 at the base, and rising high in the forehead ; but becomes small 

 and compressed at the extremity, where each mandible is furnish- 

 ed with a whitish rounding nail; the color of the bill is a purplish 

 carmine ; the edges of the two mandibles separate from each other 

 in a singular manner for their whole length, and this gibbosity is 

 occupied by dentated rows resembling teeth, these and the parts 

 adjoining being of a blackish colour ; the whole plumage is of a 

 snowy whiteness, with the exception, first of the fore part of the 

 head all round as far as the eyes, which is of a yellowish rust 

 color intermixed with white, and second, the nine exterior quill 

 feathers, which are black shafted with white, and white at the 

 root, the coverts of these last, and also the bastard wing, is some- 

 times of a pale ash color ; the legs and feet of the same purplish 

 carmine as the bill; iris dark hazel; the tail is rounded, and con- 

 sists of sixteen feathers ; that and the wings when shut, nearly of 

 a length. 



The bill of this bird is singularly curious ; the edges of the 

 upper and lower gibbosities have each twenty three indentations, 

 or strong teeth on each side ; the inside or concavity of the upper 

 mandible has also seven lateral rows of strong projecting teeth; 

 and the tongue, which is horny at the extremity, is armed on each 

 side with thirteen long and sharp bony teeth, placed like those of 

 a saw with their points directed backwards ; the tongue, turned 

 up and viewed on its lower side, looks very much like a human 

 finger with its nail. This conformation of the mandibles, expos- 

 ing two rows of strong teeth, has probably given rise to the epi- 

 thet Laughing^ bestowed on one of its varieties ; though it might 

 with as much propriety have been named the Grinning Goose. 



The specimen from which the above figure and description 

 were taken, was shot on the Delaware, below Philadelphia, on the 

 fifteenth of February; and on dissection proved to be a male; the 



VOL. VIII. u 



